Sister in Law: Lung cancer and will be having surgery to remove the lower lobe of her right lung.

My Favorite Quote

If we could look into each others hearts and understand the unique challenges each of us face, I think we would treat each other much more gently, with much more love, patience, tolerance, and care. "Marvin J. Ashton"

Relief Sociey Lesson 31 "God shall be with you forever and ever."

No affliction can separate us from the love of God and fellowship with one another.

Adversity lasts only a small moment; if we endure well, we will be exalted in the presence of God.

The Savior understands all of our suffering, and He will be with us forever and ever.

The still, small voice whispers consolation to our soul in the depths of our sorrows and distress.

I LOVE GENEALOGY

Frank & I have been doing genealogy for several years and we have been working a shift at the Family History Center, but had to quit due to our surgeries. Our favorite genealogy site is: Ancestry.com and we are excited that the Las Vegas Temple district has just recently been allowed to the newfamilysearch.org site. We love researching our families and have spent hours and hours doing so. We are the Family History Consultants for our Ward.

The below picture was taken on a trip Frank & I made in 2000. I was able to see this old Smith Home and meet some of my cousins on this trip. I actually visisted this old place when I was a very small child around 4 years old, and I can still remember it. As I was wandering around the old place, I felt my deceased Aunt's presence and I could see her running around the yard playing as a small child. She was raised by the Smiths her grandparents.

The Old Smith Home Siler City, NC

My Mother's Grandparents Home

About Me

I was born in Salt Lake City, UT where I spent the first 20 years of my life. I graduated from West High School and went to Henager Business College, and worked at the State Road Shops in Salt Lake City. I married Larry Staley on Sept.30,1960 and we had three children, Sherry, Bret, and Garen. We moved to Grantsville,UT in 1961 and lived there for three years. We moved to NV in 1964 when Garen was just four months old. We lived in Las Vegas for a few months and then moved to Overton, NV where Larry opened the Bank of Las Vegas as the bank manager. He was killed in a bank robbery in August of 1967 along with two of his bank tellers. He was 28 and I was 26, and I was left with three small children. This was the hardest part of my life losing my husband at such a young age. I married Bud Walkington two years later. He was the husband of one of the tellers that was killed. He had two daughters, Lani and Lori. They and their children are still in my life and I love them dearly. This was an un-happy marriage and ended in 1978. I then Married Frank Merritt and have been happily married for 31 years now.

Wednesday, April 13, 2011

Monday - Sad Day

On the evening of Saturday April 2nd, my son Bret called me and told me he had some bad news about someone in my neighborhood and asked me if I was sitting down, which I was. My first thought was of my young neighbor Kyle that maybe he had been in a wreck. He has had a couple of accidents and maybe that is why that thought popped into my mind. Instead it was a friend who lives around the corner on the street behind us, Julie Kirk.

Her husband has terminal colon cancer, and a neighbor had taken him for a jeep ride. They do this to lift his spirits and to take his mind off his cancer. When they got home, Malcolm went into the house and the first thing he noticed was that Julie wasn't up. He went into their bedroom and found her dead. What a shock!!!! to put it mildly. Julie had just turned 45 on February 27th. They have four boys, three who are grown and two are on missions. The youngest Pierce is only 9 and is still at home. The good thing is that he was gone on an outing with the school that dark day. Julie's mother who lives next door was gone on a trip too. Poor Malcolm was alone, but I am sure the neighbors rallied around him as soon as they found out. My heart aches for the family and especially Pierce. I have seen the interaction between him and his Mom at church. Julie was always hugging him and you could see the love between them. I don't know how much longer Malcolm will live, but I can't stand the thought of poor little Pierce losing not only his mother but his father too.

My personal opinion is that Julie had been under so much stress with her husband's illness, and had gained a lot of weight-----she was a stress eater------I think she had a stroke or a heart attack. At this time I haven't heard what the cause of death was. I think that she was so busy taking care of everybody else that she didn't listen to her body symptoms, etc. and the outcome wasn't good. The only good thing about her death was how she went.....in her sleep. That is the way I want to go. Don't we all?

I will miss Julie and her bright smile, her cute personality, her hugs and the way she brightened a room when she walked in. I am still in disbelief that she is gone and I won't be seeing her around the neighborhood, and church. Her funeral was really nice, and she had many friends and family there.

After the funeral, I met Sherry, Renee and Rozlynn at The Scoop. Once again I forgot my camera. Rozlynn is so dang cute and could warp me around her finger in a minute. I took her for a little walk and I should say a little run because that is what she does is run. I don't think she knows how to walk slow.

Renee is having a tough time right now and I wish I could wave a magic wand and make everything right for her, but unfortunately that isn't how life is. All I can do is pray for her.

1 comment:

I am so sad to hear of the tragic and sudden death of your friend, neighbor, Julie. 45? Oh my Lord.... if she was a stress eater, I wonder if she had sleep apnea... We will keep her husband and children in our prayers. This is just so dang sad...